Tissot's T-Touch Exchange Program is a scam

In 2004, I bought the Tissot T-Touch in Tripoli, Libya for 700 LYD (516 USD). I enjoyed the watch and had to replace the battery 6 years later, which was excellent.

In 2013, I realized a crown was missing and went to the Swatch Group Service Center in Korea to get it replaced. They said it would cost 210,000 KRW (179 USD) to replace a single crown, which I was OK with, since I had a terrific time with that watch. However, they said they wouldn't be able to secure that particular crown, because the watch is reaching end-of-life status. Instead, they suggested I take advantage of the T-Touch Exchange program, which would get me a new watch for 284,000 KRW (242 USD). It sounded like a great deal.

So when I did get the T-Touch II (I had not been informed that I would be getting a different model) in a plastic zip bag (no box) with the user's manual and the following note saying that although the watch was waterproof (not even water resistant), it would not be so after 2 years, I was fairly amused.

I simply took this to mean that the T-Touch II was an inferior model to T-Touch, and avoided water.

In 2016 (3 years after I got the T-Touch II), I went to the Korean Swatch Group Service Center and paid 20,000 KRW (17 USD) for battery replacement. A couple of days later, the rubber band snapped off,

so I went back to the Service Center and paid 287,000 KRW (244 USD) for a titanium bracelet. Then I asked for help with the altimeter, as I was having doubts as to whether it was working properly. Staff took a look and said that the altimeter wasn’t working, the watch wasn’t waterproof, that the watch had a circuit issue, and it would cost 230,000 KRW (196 USD) to run a circuit test to figure out what was wrong and fix it. I found this to be totally outrageous: these watches are sealed for water resistance, and the only time the watch was opened was when the battery was replaced at the service center a few days ago, meaning that the watch never was water resistant in the first place. After some unpleasant hassle, they settled for 110,000 KRW (93 USD) and didn’t charge shipping for once.

To wrap things up, I bought a watch for 516 USD and Swatch Group drained 596 USD from me for a defective watch. I was sold an unqualified product in the guise of a promotion, unless there is no OQC process. I would suggest Tissot Korea to refrain from using the term Bang Su (waterproof); it should be Nae Su (water resistant).

This review is a subjective opinion of a user.

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